


Cotton Candy and Carnival Rides

by wordsliketeeth



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Best Friends, Developing Relationship, F/M, Festivals, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Kuroko Tetsuya can't pull off a mustache, Kuroko really likes sweets, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-15 05:29:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18067472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsliketeeth/pseuds/wordsliketeeth
Summary: "He was your light, your guidance, a promise, and that promise was something so special that even the frost on the windows and the howling of wintertide's wind couldn't outstrip the warmth that Kuroko was unknowingly wrapping you in. His smile was capable of driving out any chill that threatened to overtake that heat and his laughter was like the sun itself—and it wasn't that Kuroko didn't do these things but they were so often overlooked or missed entirely, which is what made it so easy for you to claim them for yourself." Kuroko takes you on a date and much fluffiness ensues.





	Cotton Candy and Carnival Rides

Your friendship started in the fall when the leaves on the tallest trees were still transitioning from green into brilliant hues of reds and oranges indicative of the changing of seasons. The air was crisp and sweet, and the same sun that brought the sweltering heat of summer seemed to make the days much colder when it decided to make a seemingly rare appearance from behind the weight of omnipresent clouds. You didn't think Kuroko would be as easy to talk to as he was then but striking up a conversation with him had been far less awkward than the events that would inevitably follow in later months.

You became close friends as naturally as cold carried you into winter and as swiftly as the leaves, once beautiful in color, faded to a dirty brown and turned to dust. You fell into each other's footsteps like you were one and the same. You went to his basketball games and cheered for his team but he was the only player who held your focus, making his name the _only_ name that spilled past your lips in a rush of excitement and support. Kuroko showed you the same generosity and accepted your invitations whenever you should offer them, his attendance enough to override the rebarbative anxiety that crawled around inside your veins, and somehow more than enough to instill you with confidence. You shared lunches, talked between classes, and even tutored each other where it wasn't strictly necessary—perhaps a needless excuse to spend more time together. It wasn't long before his presence became commonplace and you began to feel alone without it. Fortunately, despite his habit of showing up at school at the last minute, Kuroko had a penchant for keeping a perfect record of attendance.

He was your light, your guidance, a _promise_ , and that promise was something so special that even the frost on the windows and the howling of wintertide's wind couldn't outstrip the warmth that Kuroko was unknowingly wrapping you in. His smile was capable of driving out any chill that threatened to overtake that heat and his laughter was like the sun itself—and it wasn't that Kuroko didn't do these things but they were so often overlooked or missed entirely, which is what made it so easy for you to claim them for yourself.

You spent many evenings eating together at local fast food chains and talking over the phone at night before bed. Kuroko shared things with you that you couldn't help but wonder if they were sacred to your friendship, and so you told him secrets in turn, knowing that he would hold their mystery until the day he died if you should ask it. You talked until your lips were dry and your mouth was parched, and even when you ran out of things to say you found comfort in each other's silence. There didn't seem to be anything that could drive a wedge between the relationship you had aimlessly formed. It was a blessing, to say the least, the one thing in your life that offered structure and didn't bear the weight of a thousand implications. It was simple and sacred and everything that you never knew you needed but had always wanted. It was the beginning of something extraordinary but for as long as snow continued to fall from the sky, you wouldn't know it just yet.

In fact, you wouldn't even know that Kuroko had feelings for you until winter's frost dissolved into the beginnings of tepid spring air. The snow had long since thawed and where the grass had died and turned bister there were hints of green. The need for heavy coats and hats and gloves had gone from necessity to choice and when Kuroko took you by the hand, there were no longer layers of wool and cotton separating you from skin-on-skin contact. It felt nice, to be holding his hand while you walked to school together, idly discussing whatever thoughts flitted through your mind as if they held any true importance. You can't remember those conversations now, not because they _weren't_ important to you but because something far more paramount stands out from the offhand exchange, and _that's_ when Kuroko asked if you'd be interested in going out with him.

It was a pivotal moment in the timeline of your friendship but nothing really seemed to change. It was like you started at the end of a story, for the beginning and the proposed middle of your relationship bore no vast difference. That being said, you had no regrets about accepting Kuroko's proposal, you only wished that you could spend more time together. Still, you relished the time you did have because your lives had become inundated with the undertaking of school work and the burdens of simply _being_ a teenager. Your families were insistent on rules and guidelines and it seemed like anytime the potential to spend time together arose, one of you had a reason for postponing the opportunity.

However, never once did the idea of Kuroko not actually wanting to spend time with you come to mind because you knew as much as he did that you would give anything for a moment alone with him. And thank whichever celestial being whom bestowed you with patience because it would take until the first week of summer before you would have your chance.

* * *

The warm air smells smoky and sweet as you travel over a cobbled street, the soft weight of Kuroko's hand fitting in against your own. You steal a sideways glance at him as he continues to eat what's left of a vanilla ice cream cone but he never seems to miss a beat when it comes to your appraisal, discreet or otherwise, he's always aware of your gaze.

“What is it, ____-san?” he asks, sweeping his tongue over the melting ice cream on his lips.

“It's nothing,” you tell him, smiling. “I'm just happy to be here with you.”

Kuroko nods once, quick and sure, a small crooked smile lifting the corner of his mouth. He says nothing for a long moment and it seems that his focus is set to the sweetness of the treat in his hand, but then he's dusting crumbs from the front of his shirt and turning to face you. He's hard to read sometimes and there's a light in his eyes you can't quite name but it makes your heart skip a beat and anticipation turn to knots in the low of your belly. You don't know what you expect him to say but you can feel heat creep into your cheeks when he calmly says: “There's cotton candy on your lips.”

You lift your arm and make to wipe the sticky sugar from your mouth but Kuroko is surprisingly quick to react. He catches your wrist in his hand and draws your fingers away from your mouth. “Let me,” he says, and before you can offer up any kind of response, Kuroko deftly sweeps his own fingers over your lips.

You try to ignore the blush that's undoubtedly coloring your cheeks and mutter a quiet _thank you_ before continuing down the long street surrounded by many different booths. The scent of savory meats and sweet sauces permeate your nose and smoke stings your eyes as you pass a food stall with a slew of delicious looking meal options.

“Would you like to play some games?” Kuroko asks, eyeing a small booth lined with a large variety of masks.

“Let's try on a few masks first,” you answer before automatically guiding Kuroko over to a makeshift wall lined with plastic disguises of well-known characters. You waste no time picking out several masks for Kuroko to try on, which he does in turn without complaint, though it's likely that he has no interest in doing so and just wants to appease you.

“____-san, I think I've had enough of this for a while,” Kuroko says behind a bright image of Mario that clashes with his hair terribly. “Also, I don't think I'm capable of pulling off such an illustrious mustache.” He tugs the mask away from his face and places it back where it belongs. “You've been taking pictures this whole time, haven't you?”

You press your lips together to hide your amusement but it's obvious that Kuroko can see right through you. He smiles softly and shakes his head before grabbing your hand and taking the lead. “I was planning on winning you some prizes but now I'm rethinking it.”

“But you make a surprisingly good-looking Doraemon,” you tell him, once again trying not to laugh. “I couldn't help myself.”

“I'll let you get away with it this time but don't push it,” Kuroko warns teasingly. “Let's go to the ring toss first.” He makes his way through the crowd of people passing by effortlessly and you wonder if he simply has a natural talent for avoiding personal interaction or if it's merely a habit he picked up from having such a shaded presence.

Shortly after receiving ten rings and managing to hook six of them, you're walking away with a relatively large stuffed Pikachu. Kuroko walks down to the next booth which just so happens to be gun-shooting. He's not quite as successful as he was with the ring toss, with the cork acting as a bullet apparently having a mind of its own, but he still succeeds in hitting three of his targets, awarding himself the same number of prizes. He takes them with a polite nod and a respectful bow before handing them over to you.

“You don't have to give me all of this stuff, you know. You paid for the games,” you say, secretly hoping that Kuroko doesn't change his mind. It's not about the material of the objects but the memory, and you know all too well that you're going to want to remember this time for years to come.

“I know,” he says plainly. “I have no use for it. I just like to play the games.” He stops in front of a small karaoke contest and you watch two people go head-to-head in a sing-off that does neither of them justice before continuing in the direction of a stall lined with children. It becomes clear by the striking motion of vivid oranges and gold and the dark contrast of black that the booth is home to a number of goldfish. Kuroko watches the children for a moment, some focused on the task at hand with a sense of single-minded determination while others run around giggling, uncaring if they succeed in scooping up any fish or not. He smiles before turning to face you, his eyes filling with warmth as he catches you staring again.

“Would you like me to win you a goldfish? I'm actually quite good at this game.” Kuroko furrows his brows as if he's pondering something but you don't wait for him to ruminate over whatever it is that he's thinking.

“Let's go get candy apples instead. I don't know what I'd do with a fish and it would probably die before I got it home anyway,” you say, frowning. “At least, that's what happened when I was little.”

Kuroko nods in a gesture of understanding and tilts his chin toward the direction of a nearby stall. “They sell candy apples. I'll go buy them. You wait here.” Kuroko jogs away without any further ado and in a matter of seconds, he disappears from your line of sight. Nearly ten minutes pass before he returns and you blame his longer than expected absence on the number of people waiting in line. Though, you can't help but find relief in the space of his return when he presents you with a shiny apple on a stick. “I'm sorry it took so long.” Then, after a brief pause and a bite of apple, Kuroko says, “There's one more thing I want to do. Come with me.”

You have no reason not to trust him or to even question his motives so you follow close behind him without pause. Before long, you're standing under the radiant glow of multicolored lights that adorn a large Ferris wheel you somehow missed upon entering the festival. You rove your eyes over the tall mechanism and marvel at its beauty. Kuroko curls his fingers gently around your forearm in an unspoken call for your attention.

“I was buying tickets before. I was hoping that you'd join me.” His eyes flicker to the Ferris wheel before returning to your face. “Will you ride it with me?”

You consider the prospect of being in the enclosed space, alone with Kuroko, and something rises to heat in the low of your stomach, has your knees going weak at the thought of it. It's not that you've never spent time together without the company of others but this feels different somehow, intimate and romantic, something that real couples do. You swallow thickly and nod your assent, afraid that your silence has carried on too long.

Kuroko looks relieved then and after only a few minutes of waiting in line, you're stepping into the gondola and the door is closing behind you. You sit across from Kuroko and nibble at your candy-sweet apple but for some reason, your hand is shaking and your nerves are keeping you from enjoying the view below as you begin to elevate with each joining passenger. The silence between you feels uncomfortable, and it's something that you've never experienced before, like the air is being drawn thin and there's not enough oxygen in the space between you for the both of you to breathe. You try to take a deep breath but end up choking instead and you have to wave your hand to dispel Kuroko's concern in lieu of speech.

You take a moment to gather yourself but in that time, Kuroko has moved to your bench and is sitting so close to you that you can feel the heat of his body coming off of him in waves. His hand is resting against your back, featherlight and undoubtedly there to offer reassurance if you should start sputtering again. It comforts you as much as it sends a shiver down your spine and into your bones. It's a strange dichotomy but somehow Kuroko always knows how to snuff out a situation that presents itself as something unmanageable.

Which is exactly what you think he's trying to do when he looks you dead in the eye and says: “You have sugar on your lips.” However, the heat that crests beneath your skin begins to diffuse and if this is his way of diverting the tension it's not working in the slightest. Your heart begins to hammer in your chest and you feel dizzy with the anticipation humming through your veins in time with your pulse. You don't know what's gotten into you, why you're so terrified when you've been in similar positions countless times before. You close your eyes and try to pin your focus on something else to avoid another embarrassing consequence but your thoughts don't have time to reach your mind before Kuroko fits his lips in against your own. Your eyes snap open on reflex and you feel a rush of heat take over every inch of your face, a physical response that's presumably showing on your complexion in an unflattering shade of pink—or so you think.

“I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?” Kuroko asks, his voice thick with apprehension and his expression exhibiting equal unease.

It's the first time since you were a child that you have to put so much thought into an action when you unstick your lips to issue forth a response. Everything seems to be moving in slow motion and that's when you stop at the highest point of the Ferris wheel. “N-no, I was just surprised,” is all you can manage, and you hope that it's a reasonable response because you can't hear it over the buzzing in your ears.

“Are you sure?” There's skepticism on Kuroko's face despite the inscrutability that often remains there and a wave of guilt passes through you at the sight of it.

“Yes. I'm not sure exactly why but this is the first time I've been nervous around you since we started” –you form a nonsense gesture with your hand and sigh in frustration for how difficult it's becoming to say what you want to say– “ _dating_.” The word sounds strange on your lips but you're just happy for the fact that you were able to say it aloud.

Kuroko bows his head but it's not enough for you to miss the bare hint of a smile framing his mouth. “I know how you feel,” he tells you, quietly. “I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time but I didn't know how to go about doing it. That's why when I saw the ticket booth I knew that I had to buy us tickets for this ride. I couldn't think of a better place to kiss you for the first time. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. I'll ask next time.”

Your mouth breaks into a wide grin on reflex and you shake your head to allay Kuroko's speculation. “It was perfect. I mean, I could have responded better and I wouldn't have made things so awkward if I could have avoided it but” –you pause and take a moment to parse through the rush of words formulating into your thoughts at once– “this is really sweet.”

“So are your lips,” Kuroko says passively, his eyes darting from your mouth to your heat-glazed stare. “I wasn't lying about the sugar,” he adds, his voice even but his cheeks bearing the faintest shade of pink. “You really did have...” he lets the redundancy of his statement trail off into a brief moment of silence. The Ferris wheel shifts again and your stomach feels as if it drops with the motion. However, it's not the ride that's responsible but Kuroko when he says: “Can I kiss you again?”

You clutch your gifts in one arm and lower the one still holding the remains of your apple into your lap. It feels like you're making a spectacle out of nothing but you no longer have control over your actions and when Kuroko leans forward, his face so close to your own that you can count the number of lashes that line his closed eyes, you realize that you've already nodded your assent. You quickly smear moisture into your lips with a sweep of your tongue and close your eyes as your wait for the warm contact of skin against skin. Kuroko's smiling when he kisses you and you're too rigid at first, but when he places a reassuring hand on your arm you feel yourself slip out of tension and into comfort. It feels perfect in spite of its flaws like a first kiss should, but what's more is that it feels like coming home.

You know what people say about your first love but you're not ready to accept the possibility that this might not mean forever. So you ride out the waves and dive headfirst into the waters of potentiality because coming to an end doesn't have to mean that you're settling into stillness.

It can be the start of a perfect beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
